Chapter 15: The plan has changed, and the return date is uncertain.
Cheng Cheng took a bus to a state-run restaurant on Wutong Road in the south of the city and bought a roast duck.
Then she took a car to the family compound. Her older sister would definitely invite her and Xiaoxiao to have dinner at their house, so Cheng Cheng simply used the money she had squeezed out of Ding Manman to buy a roast duck as an extra meal.
In the entire county, only the state-run restaurant on Wutong Road in the south of the town sells roast duck. I heard that the head chef's ancestors were imperial chefs, and the roast duck making skills were passed down from his ancestors.
"Xiaoping, your sister is here!"
An auntie holding a large palm-leaf fan leaned against the door of the water room and called inside.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng stopped in her tracks.
A moment later, her sister came out quickly, her hands still wet with water droplets, as she walked and shook them off.
"sister!"
Cheng Ping nodded, her gaze falling on the packaging bag she was carrying.
She had seen oil paper packaging like this before. Last year during the Spring Festival, Jianhua received a bonus and bought a roast duck from the state-run restaurant in the south of the city. It was exactly the same as the one her younger sister had.
The three siblings, Da Ni, Er Ni, and Niu Niu, were overjoyed and followed Jianhua around like little shadows.
Buying a roast duck is not cheap; it cost nearly half a month's salary. Cheng Ping was heartbroken and gave Yan Jianhua a good scolding!
Cheng Ping frowned and glared at her younger sister. How much did she earn in a month? Not even as much as her. A roast duck cost fifteen yuan, most of her salary.
Moreover, when she came in the morning, she also bought two pounds of fruit candy and half a pound of peach shortbread. She must have spent her entire month's salary!
Because there were outsiders present, Cheng Ping refrained from saying anything to her on the spot.
Cheng Cheng shrugged, shoved the roast duck in her hand into her sister's hand, and said feigning exhaustion, "Sis, I'm so thirsty!"
Cheng Ping was startled and quickly dried her hands on her clothes before taking the roast duck. She said irritably, "Where have you been? You didn't even bring a water bottle with you when you went out. Serves you right!"
The middle-aged woman next to her had a keen sense of smell. She sniffed and said with certainty, "Xiaoping, is that a roast duck you're holding? I can smell the aroma of roast duck."
As soon as he finished speaking, five or six heads popped out of the washroom and looked over at the same time.
Cheng Cheng: ...
That's really scary!
Cheng Ping immediately calmed down and smiled broadly, saying, "Yes, Aunt Hong, your nose is really sharp!"
“Last time Niu Niu was at his aunt’s house, his aunt made him a dish of braised pork with preserved mustard greens, which Niu Niu really liked. He said that the braised pork with preserved mustard greens and roast duck made by his aunt were the best things he had ever eaten.”
"That's why his aunt remembered it!" Cheng Ping said as she unwrapped the oil paper, revealing the roast duck inside.
Instantly, the rich aroma of roast duck filled the air, the hot fragrance wafting into everyone's nostrils, making them swallow hard.
"If you ask me, my sister is just too soft-hearted. Why did she have to buy roast duck? How could she take something a child says casually? She's spoiled her and given her a bad temper!"
Cheng Cheng looked down at her toes and realized that her sister could also perform the face-changing magic trick.
Someone advised, "Xiaoping, it's a good thing that his aunt dotes on her nephew! But you really can't spoil a child. If you don't discipline him for three days, he'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles. He'll be lucky if he gets any cornbread to eat!"
Someone else chimed in, "That's right! These children are living much better conditions than we were back then. We had nothing to eat or drink, and we were so hungry we had to eat clay!"
After talking for a while, Cheng Ping said, "Let's talk later, I'm taking my sister back first."
Cheng Cheng followed her sister to the end of the corridor and secretly asked her, "Sis, has your husband come back yet?"
When she arrived in the morning, Yan Jianhua was out and not at home.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ping immediately turned to look at her, her eyes filled with warning: "When you see your brother-in-law later, don't give him a hard time or show any unusual behavior!"
"I know, sis! Don't worry, I really know I was wrong!"
Cheng Cheng glanced at her sister's expression, affectionately took her sister's hand, and whispered, "I didn't mean to say those things to my brother-in-law last time. Anyway, it was all my fault, and I will never do it again!"
I swear!
Cheng Cheng held up three fingers. Judging from her sister's expression, her sister definitely hadn't told her brother-in-law the real reason for their conflict.
Thank goodness, otherwise she wouldn't know how to face her brother-in-law in the future.
In my memory, my brother-in-law was very good to the original owner and her twin brother. When the original owner and her brother were in high school in the county, he would come to the school every few days to bring them things.
Although my brother-in-law has a leg disability and walks with a limp, he is good-looking, has good character, and is a good person.
Cheng Cheng didn't want to hurt people with those kinds of words. The sins committed by the original owner had now become her sins, and she would try her best to make amends if she could.
"Mother!"
In the living room, several children were playing Ludo on a mat. When Xiao Lingxiao saw Cheng Cheng, he jumped up and before Da Ni and the others could react, Xiao Lingxiao had already pounced on Cheng Cheng's lap.
"Xiaoxiao"
Cheng Cheng bent down and picked up the little one, burying her face in the baby's belly, sucking on it, and smiling, "Did you miss Mommy?"
Little Lingxiao shyly revealed her dimples, nodded, and her little face was now full of joy, showing no trace of her previous worry.
"It's roast duck! Auntie, you bought roast duck!"
Little Niu Niu, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the oil paper package in his mother's hand. He seemed to smell the aroma of roast duck, and his bright black eyes stared intently at the oil paper package.
Immediately, the three siblings stopped playing chess and gathered around.
Inside the room, Yan Jianhua came out after hearing the commotion and saw his wife surrounded by several children. He said impatiently, "Go away! You're all gluttons, dreaming of food! You want roast duck? Believe me, I'll give you a big bag of food!"
Niu Niu wasn't afraid at all. He pressed his face against the oil paper package, took a deep sniff, and exclaimed excitedly with a look of ecstasy, "It's roast duck! Yay, it's roast duck! We're having roast duck for lunch!"
Cheng Ping shooed the children away, placed the oil paper package on the cupboard, and put it away.
Cheng Cheng caught a glimpse of Yan Jianhua, smiled at him, and greeted him, "Brother-in-law."
Yan Jianhua is a very gentle person with a good temper. He walked over and asked, "Are you thirsty?"
I turned around, went to the cabinet, took out some brown sugar, and poured her a glass of brown sugar water.
Cheng Cheng subtly observed the other person's legs. She had heard from her sister that her brother-in-law's legs were damaged when he was a child due to a fever and an injection, which left him with a chronic condition and a limp in his right leg.
"Thank you, brother-in-law!"
Cheng Cheng held the enamel cup and fed Xiao Xiao the first. The little guy looked at her and gulped down the brown sugar water.
The little guy drank a third of the brown sugar water, and Cheng Cheng finished the rest.
At noon, Cheng Cheng and Xiao Lingxiao stayed behind. There were two roasted duck legs, and Xiao Lingxiao and Niu Niu each took one. The little guy ate with gusto, his mouth dripping with oil.
The roast duck was indeed delicious and worth the price. After the meal, Cheng Cheng took Xiao Lingxiao and said goodbye.
Cheng Ping wanted them to stay longer and go back when the sun was less intense in the afternoon, but Cheng Cheng insisted on leaving, saying she needed to go back for a nap.
After returning home, Cheng Cheng washed the little guy's hands and face, turned on the fan, and let the little guy play on the bed.
She quickly took a shower and changed into clean clothes. Every morning she would fill several buckets with water and put them in the yard to dry, so she wouldn't have to boil water for bathing, which was convenient and simple.
Back in the room, the little one was already asleep. During this time with her, Xiao Lingxiao had developed the habit of taking a nap at noon.
Cheng Cheng covered the little guy's belly button, lay down next to Xiao Xiao, yawned, and closed her eyes.
The fan hummed, blowing in gusts of cool air. The two people, one big and one small, slept soundly on the bed. The room was quiet and peaceful.
Cheng Cheng was awakened by a knocking on the door: "Comrade Cheng Cheng, are you home? You have a telegram!"
telegraph?
Cheng Cheng quickly got up, and Xiao Lingxiao was also woken up. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at his mother.
"Coming right away!"
Cheng Cheng called out to the outside, put on her shoes, and got out of bed, "Xiao Xiao, lie down a little longer, Mom will be back soon."
She rushed out to open the door, and the postman tossed her a telegram to sign for. Cheng Cheng signed her name, and the man immediately rode off on his old bicycle to deliver mail to the next address.
Plans have changed and the return date is uncertain. Please don't worry or fret; I hope you are well.
—Zhou Yue
Cheng Cheng frowned. Zhou Yue wasn't coming back again?
No wonder, they should have been home long ago. I wonder what happened, but as long as they're safe, that's all that matters.
Cheng Cheng's thoughts were simple. She had no feelings for Zhou Yue, only respect and admiration for scientists. She respected and admired them for their selfless dedication to making great contributions to the country!
Mixed in with this was a touch of respect and friendliness towards the child's father, as well as a pure and fervent desire for the wealthy man. After all, if she were to rely solely on her salary, she certainly wouldn't be able to afford roast duck; if she bought roast duck, she would be left with nothing.
The comfortable life she and Xiao Lingxiao are living now is all thanks to each other's strong support!
How should I tell my little Xiaoxiao about this?
Little Lingxiao was woken up and didn't fall back asleep, staring at the door waiting for his mother to come home.
Cheng Cheng decided to tell him the truth, but to her surprise, the little guy wasn't upset at all. He nodded to show that he understood and then reached out to hug her.
Cheng Cheng lay back on the bed, and the little guy automatically rolled into her arms and hugged her tightly.
Is this correct?
Cheng Cheng looked down at the little guy and found that he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.
Okay, sleeping is the priority!
Let's talk about it when Zhou Yue gets back.
-
On Sunday, after breakfast, Cheng Cheng took the little one out to the bookstore.
"Excuse me, do you sell crayons here?"
"No, bookstores in our small town aren't authorized to purchase these things. Comrade, you should try asking at bookstores in the city."
"Oh, I see. Thanks!"
Xiao Lingxiao was a little disappointed. She was particularly interested in what her mother had said about coloring the tree. Her mother said she would take her to the bookstore to buy crayons today, and she had been looking forward to it since she woke up in the morning.
"Mother……"
The little guy unconsciously pouted, clearly looking unhappy.
Although Cheng Cheng was disappointed, she was pleasantly surprised to see the little guy expressing his dissatisfaction with her.
It seems that all her efforts over this period of time have paid off!
However, she needed to comfort the little one, so she squatted down and patted her head: "Next time we'll go to the bookstore in the city and see if they sell crayons, it's okay."
Since we're already here, "Okay, don't be upset. Let's go pick out some comic books you want to read and buy them to take home."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao perked up again, cheering excitedly, "Great!"
Immediately, I took my mother's hand and went to choose a children's book.
The little guy picked out seven or eight comic books in one go. Cheng Cheng didn't intend to spoil him. There needs to be a limit to how much you can pamper a child.
"Xiaoxiao, you can only choose three books. We'll buy more next time after we've finished reading them!"
"Mommy~"
Little Lingxiao immediately hugged his mother's leg, looked up at her, and pleaded in his big, bright eyes.
Cheng Cheng remained unmoved. She believed that being friends with the child was fine, and she respected the child's wishes, but she also needed to establish a positive image in the child's mind that she couldn't just give her whatever she wanted.
She patted the little one, her tone gentle yet firm: "Go pick out three of your favorite picture books, hurry up, or Mommy will change her mind!"
Upon hearing this, the little one immediately let go of her mother and hurriedly squatted down to choose a picture book, afraid that her mother wouldn't buy it for her.
Cheng Cheng didn't urge him any further. She found the conflicted and hesitant expression on the little guy's face quite amusing!
When I get back, I'll definitely draw this scene.
The little one chose three comic books, then reluctantly put the others back, turning back every few steps, his eyes glancing at his mother from time to time.
Cheng Cheng naturally noticed, but she said nothing and pretended not to have noticed.
I also took two blank notebooks and a box of pencils, and paid for them together.
A note from the author:
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See you tomorrow~ Goodnight, my darlings~
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